Mustafa Ali, also known as The Heart of 205 Live, is a superstar of Indian and Pakistani origin.
Despite the fact that he’s the first wrestler of Pakistani origin to wrestle in WWE, Mustafa Ali has
said time and again that nationality does not define us, but instead separates us.
The Cruiserweight Classic
Mustafa Ali only entered the tournament as a backup for Brazilian superstar Zumbi, who could not
make it to WWE because of visa issues. Mustafa Ali took on Lince Dorado in the first round, but was
eliminated. Ali had a short-lived run in NXT as well.
205 Live
Mustafa Ali really came into his own on 205 Live, where he established himself as one of the brand’s
top superstars, feuding with the likes of Drew Gulak and Enzo Amore. He took on Cedric Alexander
for the Cruiserweight Championship, that was vacated after Enzo Amore’s departure from WWE.
Mustafa Ali would lose the match but won the hearts of the thousands in attendance. He would go
on to have a fantastic feud against Hideo Itami as well. Ali and Alexander took each other on at
Survivor Series, but Mustafa Ali was unsuccessful again.
WWE SmackDown Live
Mustafa Ali took on Daniel Bryan, one of the men he cited as an inspiration, as a showcase match on
SmackDown Live. Impressed by his performance, Mustafa Ali was made a full time member of the
SmackDown Live roster, and went on to pin the WWE Champion in a tag team match. Mustafa Ali is
truly an example of an inspiring man who followed his dreams to the very top.
